Sound on Recorder

I'm just curious. I played recorder in middle school and it sonded like crud. I always thought that the recorder just sounded like that. But my dad and I were listening to the classical station and a recorder soloist came on and it was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. How do you get the recorder to sound that great? I still have my recorder and might start playing it if I can figure that out. Thanks. =)

ok so it is a combination of two things...firstly lots and lots and lots of work...usually the recorder does sound crap...its all to do with the strength of breath...shape of your mouth...use of toung...loads of different variables and would take a whole book to explain properly...plus if your school recorder was a little plastic thing then no matter how well you play it, it will always sound like a plastic recorder (thats not to say that you can't get a nice sound out of one of those its just harder and will never sound as good as a well made wooden one!

Practice lots on your blowing techniques and experiment. That's how I got where I am now. Also, I agree, a wooden recorder is better than a plastic one but I think Aulos recorders even though made of plastic sound very nice. I have one.

totally aggree with you on the aulos range...my "throw into my bag" recorder (that i have with me all the time) is an aulos...i'm not saying plastic recorders are bad just that they can never produce quite such a sweet note as a GOOD wooden one, no matter how well you blow it

oh and i also feel i should said a well made plastic recorder (such as the aulos range) will sound much nicer than i rubbish wooden one...build quality is the more important factor...don't buy a cheap recorder just cus its made of wood...

If possible, find a current recorder player and see how it sounds played by and "average" player. It won't sound like the recording since that was a professional player, in an ideal acoustic situation with expert recording engineering, but it can sound like a dream once you have the basic techiques down.

Ask your local music store if they know of someone. Or contact your school system music department. Recorder players are always happy to show off! Another source is the American Recorder society http://www.americanrecorder.org/ where they list local chapters with a contact person. One may be near you.
--Jerry